It's easy for a team to be enthusiastic and hopeful before playing a single game or even starting practice. But the Missouri Western men claim plenty of substance behind their energy.

The Griffons finished below .500 last season - 14-16 - but surged to a late-season climax, including a run to the MIAA postseason tournament championship game. In the title game, they forced prohibitive favorite Central Missouri to overtime before falling 86-84.

"We weren't ready to quit after that game. We weren't ready to be done," Western coach Tom Smith said. "I really think our kids are about as excited as they have been for five or six years. Last year kind of carried over, and enthusiastic is the word for us."

The Griffons - and the rest of the Division II basketball teams - hold their first practice of the new year today.

And, unlike the past few years, Western returns a strong core from last season's surprise team.

Marcus Rhodes, Dominique Thuston and James Bush all return.

Thuston, a Lafayette High School graduate, averaged 13.8 points in his first year with the Griffons. He scored 11 in the tournament title game against Central Missouri.

"Hopefully, that last game will define him," Smith said. "He played great and tough. He has to continue to get tougher and tougher, taking it to the basket and rebounding and defending. And I think he's ready to make even more strides."

Rhodes started slowly last year but became a leader in the stretch. He scored 22 and had six rebounds against Central after averaging 11.4 points for the season.

"I think he kind of matured late," Smith said. "But he played terrific in the tournament, and I expect a lot from him this year."

Smith expects those building blocks to give Western the lift it needs to compete for a Division II tournament berth.

"We've had to revamp the program so many times in the last four or five years. We've had no continuity," Smith said. "With that this year, I think we really have an opportunity to improve ourselves."

Smith also added four new pieces to his team. Guards Mike DeWalt and Justin Taylor should fill the holes left behind by Ken Goodwin and Lonnel Johnson, who led the team in scoring last year with 14 points a game.

"I think they can be as good if not better," Smith said.

Freshman Denzel Cook and junior transfer Cortez Wallace should shore up the Griffons' post play.

Northwest Missouri State, on the other hand, starts practice today with more new faces than old hands.

Coach Ben McCollum took over after 21-year veteran Steve Tappmeyer resigned at the end of the season. The Bearcats finished 12-15 and missed the MIAA tournament for the first time in 18 years.

The Bearcats roster also underwent significant turnover.

But returning starter Elijah Allen, a 6-foot-4 junior forward, said the offseason changes seem to be working.

"It's a really big positive to start over and start clean," said Allen. "A lot of people are working a lot harder than last year already. Everyone's just competing and having fun while we're doing it."

McCollum, a former Northwest player, helps out by providing a more youthful approach to the Bearcats leadership, Allen said. McCollum graduated in 2003.

"He's someone we can relate to. He's not that much older than us. He feels like one of the guys," Allen said. "Main thing about him is that he's real positive. That helps out a lot."

Along with Allen, Mike Larsen and Edriss Floyd return to provide the leadership.

Key new faces will be transfers Girod Adams from Stephen F. Austin and two foreign players, Maciej Ustarbowski and Arunus Simanavicius.

"Adams, he's as tough as they come," McCollum said. "With him and the other new faces, there's a lot to be excited about."

And McCollum said he isn't going to change the Bearcat's tradition much.

"Playing harder and mentally tougher. That's what we've always done here," McCollum said, "and that's how we're going to approach this year."